Durban is a cosmopolitan sea-side and business city that combines the perfect mix to ensure that your conference or seminar or your holiday is a pleasant and memorable experience. Varied and exotic cuisine, the beaches, uShaka Marine World, the Rickshaws, Umhlanga Rocks, adventure all combine to provide variety, excitement and sheer enjoyment when visiting this city. … And a stones-throw from the city, in the general metro region are unique and special villages and towns, each offering their own special brand of culture, shopping experiences, pristine beaches and the countryside of the Western Suburban regions. The terrain and the move from the sub-tropical city into the hinterland of the surrounding North and South Coast and the 1000 Hills region, moving into the beautiful, scenic Midlands of KwaZulu Natal and the majestic Drakensberg mountains are a reminder of the diversity of this scenic province. AND, that’s not all … Durban is the gateway to some of south Africa’s top Big 5 Game Reserves.

The balmy, sub-tropical climate on the East Coast brags perfect summer weather while the cooler weather of winter is the best, without doubt in South Africa.
Hotel accommodation Durban: From the hotels on the Golden Mile, with its associated nightlife, to the elegant guest houses and Boutique hotels found in the leafy suburbs surrounding the city, Durban sincerely has it all!

The Riverside Hotel and Spa is just one of many perfect combinations for a successful conference with time for chilling, with luxury accommodation, a relaxing pool-side and Health Spa. Situated, overlooking the Umgeni River from the hillside on which it is built, from the Riverside Hotel, guests are blessed with distant vistas of the Golden Mile and the Dolphin Coastline. Abundant bird life, prolific along the Umgeni River is a natural attraction to many who visit Durban North.
The Riverside Conference Centre is ideally situated directly opposite the front entrance to the hotel, with easy access for residential conference delegates to their rooms, the restaurant and the Spa. In a dedicated, separate building, the conference centre, with several venues is quiet, allowing conferences and seminars to run without interruption or noise, offering a result achieving atmosphere. Day delegates are assured of ample secure parking within the hotel grounds and, with the hotel being so centrally located, it allows for easy access no matter where the delegates are travelling from. 20 minutes’ drive from King Shaka International Airport.
All conference venues are equipped with state-of-the-art conference equipment and additional requirements are available with prior notice.

ACCOMMODATION ROOMS AT THE RIVERSIDE HOTEL AND SPA : 169 BEDROOMS AND SUITES offer luxury at its best. individually appointed in unique, stylish décor. These offer all the regular comforts associated with a four star-hotel, but also include a kitchenette, complete with microwave, mini bar fridge, cutlery and crockery.

For those who do not have access to a laptop, an internet café, situated in the hotel lobby is freely available with access information available from the reception desk.
Wedding packages at the Riverside.

For the perfect, dream wedding, professional, qualified wedding coordinators at the Riverside Hotel will provide you with just the package you are looking for, to suit your budget and taste. This includes a fabulous variety of menus, varying in price.

Riverside Spa

You will lose the hard-pressed sense of time the moment you walk into the Riverside Hotel’s Health Spa. Where the basic elements of earth, water, fire, metal and wood synchronise with your surroundings. This has become an essential ‘element’ in busy conference centres, for the all-round well-being of clients in conference, to relax the mind and simply let go …

The Riverside Hotel awaits your arrival and the professional, friendly staff will be happy to welcome you with a welcome cocktail of your choice, and porter service to take care of your luggage.

Contact us at the Venue Pages for your next Durban conference or seminar and we will obtain excellent rates and packages for your event at this city hotel out of the city yet only minutes away by road.

Brought to you in the interest of efficient and professional conference planning by The Venue Pages – http://www.venuepages.co.za
Article compiled by Rosalie Howard.

For quotes and availability on this and other venues in Durban or throughout South Africa please contact us on 0861 262 262 or use the form below

SPOILT FOR CHOICE…..I have found, in the many years I have worked in the Conference Tourism industry that Cape Town more than any other South African city has ‘the mostest’ … literally hundreds of hotels and conference centres to select from in all areas. I will feature one of many because it really warrants mention …

LAGOON BEACH HOTEL in recent months completed a major refurb. and this, what was always a lovely hotel is even lovelier than before!

Because of consistently excellent service and tip-top standards, we have always supported this venue, which assures guests of quality cuisine, luxury and comfortable accommodation and friendly, helpful, well-trained staff, always professional yet warm and willing to go the extra mile.

Click to enlarge

Situated in the most idyllic location, on Lagoon Beach, in Milnerton in Cape Town, with breath-taking views of Table Mountain. This is Cape Town’s second largest conference venue – Lagoon Beach Hotel and Spa.
With direct access to the pristine Lagoon Beach strand and quick and easy access to Cape Town’s CBD… with the beach on their doorstep, plus the cheery, holiday vibe of the city, you have ‘ the best of both worlds’ whether on holiday or as a participant at a conference at this luxury four star hotel. 200 sophisticated en-suite rooms and suites, numerous holiday apartments, 9 conference venues and 4 world-class restaurants form the structure of this lovely venue. It’s close proximity to the renowned Milnerton Golf Course plus a short distance from Canal Walk (one of the largest shopping centres in South Africa) make LAGOON BEACH HOTEL a very appealing base when visiting Cape Town for any reason. AND, right at the hotel is a relaxing, superior Spa for those tired muscles at the end of a hectic day!

From this central location, guests might like to take short trips along some of the world’s best wine estates, most of which are a mere 50 km ride from Lagoon Beach Hotel and Spa. Whale watching from here is also popular and for those who enjoy an adrenaline shot, guests may launch themselves from one of the world’s highest commercial Bunji jumps and for something completely different, be entertained by South Africa’s unique, very own, brightly attired minstrels on hey days and special holidays!

This is where two mighty oceans meet and embrace, where fashion struts down catwalks that rival any, anywhere else in the world and where runners from every corner of the globe compete in the world’s most scenic marathon, where Table Mountain casts its gentle protective shade over a mixed, rainbow cultured nation, where a prison island hosted the world’s greatest liberation icon and where the finest wines in the country are made – CAPE TOWN is ‘where it’s at’ and filled abundantly with many varied attractions unique to Cape Town and the rest of the Western Cape. And LAGOON BEACH HOTEL & SPA is your central point from where you will reach all these world wonders without journeying far.

CONFERENCE VENUES

From the 9+ conference venues Lagoon Beach Hotel offers, all fully equipped with the latest technology, up to 600 delegates may be accommodated in the largest conference room, however the smaller groups are welcome with a minimum of 10 in their smallest venue therefore no matter how small or large, up to 600 delegates, you are all welcome at competitive rates.

This editorial was compiled and composed by Rosalie Howard from http://www.venuepages.co.za. Visit our website for an abundance of venues nation-wide. Send an enquiry for the area you are considering and we will handle the rest.

Complete the form below and we will source a venue for your conference, function or event at no charge. We earn a commission from these venues for our work.

Now that you are all back at your desks, planning events, conferences, seminars accommodation, your special wedding day … and wondering what happened to the holidays which seem to have come and gone in a flash … relax and let us assist you with the things we can ! Have some fun in the meantime and enter our current and future competitions which are always up on our Blog (http://blog.venuepages.co.za)

THE VENUE PAGES, in conjunction with BREAKERS RESORT AND CONFERENCE CENTER, in Durban, is running a competition for all our Durban and nearby KZN folks this week – (and/or any holiday makers who would like to participate!)

Click to enlarge

BREAKERS RESORT AND CONFERENCE CENTRE, situated at Umhlanga, right on the beach in the most sought after area of this beautiful holiday resort have had a major refurb. since new owner Lloyd Ridl bought the conference centre business a year ago.
2013 brings a fresh approach to Breakers Resort, Conference and Wedding Venue and they welcome conference delegates and wedding guests to the new and improved venue!

The facility is world class with a ‘beachy’, island finesse and atmosphere. Exterior renovations are complete which adds to the overall resort experience. The food and beverage / catering team have upgraded the menu on the Pool Deck and Boma enhancing their delicious meals and cocktails.

The Breakers pool deck invites you to laze in the sun, catch up on your reading or simply relax and soak up the beautiful surroundings. This area is fully serviced by waiters and the pool service attendants are on hand to assist. The Islander, with its air-conditioned comfort and panoramic views, is the perfect venue for breakfast or any of the tempting light meals from the snack menu. Open daily from 07h00 to 22h00.

Click to enlarge

The lounge offers an alternative venue to relax, read, watch TV or just enjoy a cup of coffee and a slice of something really scrumptious from the coffee bar.

BREAKERS CONFERENCE CENTRE – In this picturesque setting, overlooking the Indian Ocean on the Dolphin Coast, this is the perfect venue for a variety of functions – from corporate dinners, to day to day conferences, company launches, small board meetings, themed dinners and wedding receptions. Their dedicated team will be happy to assist with the planning of your special event.

ACCOMMODATION ROOMS – Breakers Resort offers time share apartments for conference groups or wedding guests that are privately owned, however many are available to the Conference Centre for the use of their guests. This is, of course, dependant on availability at any one time.

Answers are to reach us by 18 February when the lucky draw will take place! Good luck! Remember to leave your answer in the comments section of the article and hit the Facebook Like Button or other social media buttons on the post.

I am sure that readers will have some valuable input here … discussing the pro’s and cons of Guest Houses and B & B’s versus Hotels and Conference Centres for conferences, meetings and Bos Beraads … We invite you to join a discussion.

Depending on the nature of the conference … i.e. if it is designed to be light-hearted without strict boundaries or schedules, a Guest House or B & B is ideal because they might impart an energy of quiet, relaxation and peace without bounds … bearing in mind that usually Guest Houses or B & B’s do not have a dedicated conference venue (while there are those who do) and they utilise their dining area for this purpose. Therefore, the day’s business can only realistically commence after breakfast has been cleared, at around 9.30 or 10 a.m. However, you would have the rest of the day to yourselves in this space as this is generally the only meal these personal and private venues prepare.

Personal attention is definitely assured in a Guest House or B & B, yours being likely to be the only event taking place on the day, hence you will have exclusivity with no distractions … unless the venue has grown into a large Guest House as some have offering more than one venue … ideally they should be re-named Boutique Hotels or Lodges wouldn’t you say? You are also likely to have home-baked cookies for tea and a lovingly prepared home cooked lunch … and ‘the lady or lord of the manor’ will even attend to your laundry with prior arrangements in most.

Hotels and Conference Centres on the other hand, are specifically, purpose-built with conference in mind and have all the staff required to attend to all the tiny details. They will be well equipped with state-of-the-art conference equipment and teas and meals will be served in designated areas, or in their main restaurant, or they might offer you a finger lunch inside the venue as a working lunch, if time does not permit a lengthy break in the day. They can certainly be more flexible as they have the means to be so.

Hotels of course are most suitable where numbers are high and accommodation is required for all delegates, whereas a guest house or B & B in general is only ideal for the smaller events. Hotels will likely also have their own shuttle service for collections from the airport.

Room service will be an attraction in hotels as 4 and 5 star hotels usually offer 24 hour room service if delegates do not wish to dine in the restaurant on site or call for a snack or a drink late at night.

Hotel rooms are nearly always equipped with wall safes for your valuables; some offer self-catering facilities such as microwaves and fridges and are stocked with all required crockery. Many hotels will offer either self catering rates or Bed and Breakfast, or dinner, bed and breakfast while others do not offer self catering at all.

Depending on where you are, many hotels will offer business lounges with up-to-date internet facilities, and team building space, an additional venue for your gala event, private dinner or Break Away room and of course, the favourite meeting place at the end of the day ‘the Pub’.

There are those who prefer the home-from-home ambience of a Guest House or Bed and Breakfast which is certainly an attraction, while there are those who prefer the formal surroundings and the kind of service only a hotel can offer.

B & B rates are always more affordable while hotels, being in the position of being able to offer full service, will be more expensive.

I guess it depends entirely on the event … the schedule you are working to … the area you are in .. and most importantly, your own comfort and choice!!

Any comments?

Author : Rosalie Howard Venue Pages

The Venue Pages provides the largest single free database of conference venues in South Africa., Click here to access the full database.

Stats show that Business Tourism is booming in South Africa and this includes seminars, conferences and the exhibition and trade show sector.

Some 1 000 world-class conference and exhibition venues operating to International Standards are available throughout South Africa which includes the small and intimate bush venues to the modern state-of-the-art, hi-tech Convention Centres such as the International Convention Centres in Cape Town, Durban and East London and Sandton Convention Centre, Gallagher Estate and Midrand Conference Centre in Johannesburg, to name a few.

This is not where it starts and ends either. Wherever there is an International event taking place in the country, conference tourism does exceptionally well for pre and post conference tours are most often a start or end to the serious stuff of business. Likewise, accommodation establishments, which includes hotels, guest lodges, self catering apartments, boutique hotels, and B & B’s have excellent occupancies during these busy periods and as long as we as South Africans can uphold our present excellent service standards, there is no reason why this shouldn’t grow even more rewarding in the future. It can certainly result in a Win-Win scenario given that the hospitality industry in the main, offers the best possible service and gets paid well for this and visitors leave with a feeling of satisfaction, good memories of our beautiful country and its people and venue operators with a sense of satisfaction of a job well done at the end of it. (Attention to detail and constant training is imperative to ensure this success of course!)

Some items on the local Conference Calendar from now until the end of September follow for your interest and possible participation. For conferences, congresses and conventions, exhibitions and trade shows, contact each centre’s local Tourism offices who can provide you with a list of up-to-date happenings in their city, who to contact, where to stay etc.

To source a conference venue in South Africa for your forthcoming conference, function or event click here.

Following is a list which covers the major events around the country. These are also updated on a regular basis and are by no means all that is on the cards for the next three months or so .

Conference Calender JULY

The XVIth World Economic History Congress & Exhibition
Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch
9-13 July